A one-compartment semi-rigid transparent package is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,498,018 (Seiferth et al) and a two-compartment semi-rigid transparent package is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,685,717 (Seiferth et al). The packages disclosed in these patents are typical of the type having a base provided with a marginal base flange, a peripheral sidewall, and a raised pedestal on which sliced meat products or the like are stacked. Enclosing the meat product is a cover which is adhesively attached to the marginal flange of the base and which has a cavity inside of which the meat product is located. The cavity is formed by a top wall and a peripheral sidewall connecting the top wall to a marginal flange of the cover. The peripheral sidewall is rectangularly or cylindrically shaped and has a plurality of concave channels disposed vertically along the interior surface thereof. These channels extend along the entire length of the peripheral sidewall and are used to add rigidity to the sidewall, to provide a bellows-like action so that larger or smaller charges of product can be snugly engaged, and to aid in evacuation of air past the meat product during sealing of the package. Typically, the base is not transparent, whereas the cover is transparent so that the meat product can be viewed.
Although the packages typical of the type described above have proven highly successful in the packaging art, there are a few drawbacks to this type of package due to the presence of free liquids from the processed meat products, especially non-transparent free liquids or liquids containing particulate matter (e.g. pepper). Thus, even though the concave channels aid in evacuation of the meat product, the presence of free liquids in these channels adjacent the peripheral sidewall of the base sometimes presents a striped appearance, especially if the liquid is colored, around the peripheral sidewall of the pedestal which may be objectional to some consumers. In addition, the free liquids occasionally migrate along the peripheral sidewall and may even extend between the overlaping portions of the base and cover and interfere with the adhesive attachment therebetween.
There has also been disclosed in the prior art various packages which include depressions or cups in the base in which juices are trapped. Typical of these prior art devices are those disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,974,843 (Reifers et al); 3,040,947 (Wells et al); 2,040,949 (Foote); 3,253,762 (Gaunt); and 3,288,346 (Peppler). U.S. Pat. No. 3,155,303 (Fenkel) also discloses a meat package tray having a corrugated bottom tilting centrally to a well for the collection of juices in the well. The provision of spaced ridges located around the periphery of the portion of a container immediately adjacent the meat so that the depth of the meat below the ridges can be seen by the consumer is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,278,693 (Dingethal et al).